NO. We seldom take holiday breaks.
All of my friend’s kids and my kid’s friends are home for the holidays. Therefore, there is no schoolwork, no homework, no work, period. This is not true for us. Since we take breaks whenever we need to, we do not follow the public school calendar. We homeschool every chance we get. Today, my son is working on writing exercises for the book he is reading, and my daughter is working on math. Then we will go to the chiropractor for my back, (while my 12-year-old son plans to stay home, as he does not want to miss the mail carrier again). He will not open the door for anyone else. Then we will spend the afternoon reading and perhaps take a long walk for some exercise.
If the kids in our neighborhood were actually home during breaks for school, perhaps I would have the children do just two hours of lessons, and go out and play. However, since so many mothers in my neighborhood work, the kids are with grandparents or at the YMCA this week. Therefore, while the kids are out of school this week, many of them are still what I consider to be institutionalized.
Speaking of after school care, have you ever witnessed after school and summer day camps? My kids and I have been at the YMCA on days when the kids did not have school, and instead had an all day after-school program. The kids come out of the dressing rooms and all have to sit along the side of the pool, while the counselors bark instructions at them. It is not what they say that bothers me, as they give sound safety instructions. It is the tone of voice, much like the librarian I mentioned two weeks ago. It is no wonder the kids disregard everything they have said. I am sure they just tune out the yelling. We have also gone to science nature talks where summer program kids (from the parks program) were also attending. It seems to me that the counselors do not really want to be there, as they seem to be perpetually in a bad mood.
While I understand the need for working parents to use after school care during the school breaks and after school, I feel sorry for the kids in the programs I mentioned. I wish the parents could be a fly on the wall, as they would surely find more suitable holiday care. These kids really do need their holiday breaks, and they are not getting a break at these places.